estabrook



(N0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- A. C. ESTABROOK.

- MAGHINB FOR BUNCHING BRISTLES.

No. 351,908. Patented Nov. 2. 1886,.

lll l l (NoModelJ' v I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- A. C. ESTABROOK.

MACHINE POR BUNGHING BRISTLBS. No, 3517.908.V L Ptented Nov. 2, 1886.

N. Pneus, Pham-uwngmpher, wusvzngmn, n. a

s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALANSON c. EsTABEooK, or FLORENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, AssIGNoR To THE FLORENCE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAMEv PLACE.

livmomrua FOR BuNci-l'lNo lenisTLEs.

SPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.351,908, dated November 2.l 1886. Application tiled July 1T, 1884.` Serial-No. 11l7,tr59. (No model.)

Be it known that I, ALANsoN C. Es'rABnooK,

of Florence, town of Northampton, in the county of Hampshire and State of Massachu- 5 setts, have invented certain new and useful `Improvements-in Machines for Bunching Bristles for use in the Manufacture of Brushes; and I dohereby declare that the following specification, takenin connection with the drawings to furnshedand forming-a part of the same, `is vva clear, true, and complete description of the several features of my invent-ion.

My said improvements pertain to that vwellknown class of machines which are relied upon solely for'jseparating from a mass of bristles and so presenting a 'properly-sized tuft `thereof that it may be readily seized by the brush-maker preparatory to mounting it, whether said tuft' is to bethereafter doubled at its :middle or inserted endwise into the holes in which it is to be mounted or into the holes of well-known tools, as employed in the manufacture of` certain kinds of brushes.

Although machines embodying my im prove! 2 5 ments are capable ofgeneral service, I have organized them with special reference to tine work. i

Allmachines of thevclass above referred to embody either astraight reciprocating sliding blade' or a reciprocating rotative disk-blade, bothof which have a notch, and sweep with said notch across the surface of a mass of=bristles held in a hopper, so that said notch fills itself 4with bristles and delivers its contents as '35 a tuft of proper sizeat a point convenient for seizure. In myamachines I employ those yelements; vbut in connection with their construction, combination, and arrangement I 'have devised variousimprovements wit-ha view to the attainment of the several novel and improved results hereinafter indicated.

One important feature of my invention hasv forits object the reduction of abrasive friction between the notched reciprocating blade (however it may be constructed) and the mass of bristles, and at the same time enable ama- `chineto serve for two'brush-makers, instead of but-for one, ash-eretofore.

5o turn movenientsofY the reciprocating notched -of bristles. .that it is not new to employ cords-or wires This end I ,ac-` complish-by utilizing the forwardand the reblade for separatingtufts, instead of utiliz/ing the forward movement only, as heretofore,

ciprocated only half as many times as heretofore, and hence the bristles exposed to friction are proportiouably less liable to injury b abrasion. i w

Another feature of my invention has for its 6o .object a specially favorable presentation of the `bristles in mass to the action of the notched Amouth across which the notched blade reciprocates, and which exerts pressure upon the mass of bristles (by means of weights or springs) substantially in radial directions toward the .mouth of the hopp-er` and toward the reciprocating blade, which in one sense is, as heretofore,a part of the inclosing-wall of the hopper. I have also devised an agitator by which the iiexibleportion of the hopper is intermit- 8o -ti ng'l y vibrated, thus keeping the mass of Vbristies in a condition favorable for their advance- Vment toward the reciprocating device byV constantly varying the pressure upon the mass In this connection, I will state controlled by weights for compressing bristles Within a hopper, or for forcing `them toward a delivery aperture; but such have always heretofore been employed merely for 9c solidi fyin g the mass of bristles, so thata notched needle could be forced through some part of saidimass, and to enable the notch of the needle to beproperl y filled preparatory to forcing a tuft in a doubled-up condition through a tube, as, is for instance, illustrated in the United States Letters Patent of Taylor and Davis, May 1, 1845, No. 51,027.

Certain minor improvements made by me will be designated in connection withk the folroo lowing detailed description, after which the several features of my invention will be specified in the several clauses of claims hereunto annexed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a Side view of a machine containing a straight reciprocating sliding blade and embodying all of my improvements. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side-view of the upper part of the same. Fig. 3 is a top view of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal central section of the same above the table. Fig. 5 is a side or front view of a machine containinga reciprocating disk-blade embodying some of my presentimprovernents, and although said machine is made the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent, it is here shown for illustrating the application thereto of certain features of my invention herein intended to be broadly claimed. Fig. 6 is a rear view of the machine, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 illustrates the coupling of two or more machines like Fig. 1, as when operated simultaneously.

The table or stand A may be variously constructed, according to circumstances, without departure from my invention. Sometimes the table may be a mere shop-bench; but as here shown it is light, portable, and ornamental, and specially adapted for use in connection with such factories as employ brush-makers who work at home.

The frame B of the machine may also be variously constructed without departure from my invention 5 but as here shown its base is of triangular outline, having a bottom plate, by which it is secured to the top of the table by screws or bolts. The top of the frame is varied in its construction, according to the particular form of notched blade employed.

In Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4 the frame B has a straight-surfaced top plate, b, the top of which serves (in connection with the notched blade, to be hereinafter described) as a notch-closing and tuft-bearing surface, and said top plate may be separately formed and secured to the base,but can be more economically constructed, if integral therewith, in the novel form shown. At a central point said top plate-is cut away from side to side, as at c, to form the mouth of a hopper, as will be hereinafter described. At its opposite edges, on both sides of the hopper-mouth c, the top plate, opposite the outer ends of the notch-closing snrfaces,is cut away, as at d and d', to afford inger-spaees for the convenient grasping of tufts of bristles byl brush makers seated on opposite sides of the machine. At each end of said top plate there is a vertical standard, e, slotted in line with the center of the plate. In the slots of these standards the straight reciprocating notched blade Gis mounted, cach standard having agib, e, which bears evenly upon the upper edge ofthe blade, and is backed up by adjustingscrews tapped into threaded holes in the tops ofthe standards and provided with set-nuts et. This blade is reciprocated by the foot of the brush-maker acting upon the treadle D,

which is coupled by a rodlink,f, to the bellcrank lever f, which at its upper end is coupled to the blade by a link, f. Other means for reciprocating said blade may be employed without departure from my invention.

The tuft-gathering notches heretofore used in the blades of prior machines have always been either inclined, as in straight sliding blades, or tangential, as in disk or rotative blades, so that they could only operate successfully while moving in one direetion-viz., the direction in which the notch inclines toward its mouth-and while I do not preclude myself from employing such inclined and tangential notches in connection with certain features of my invention, it is practically impossible to use a single notch of either of those prior forms for delivering tufts at both movements of the blade.

The tuft-notch f/ of the blade C is novel, in that it is straight or at right angles to the lower or bearing edge of the blade,which lies in close contact with the upper surface of the top plate b,and therefore it can readily fill itself, whether moving forward or backward, and as the result of either movement it will deliver a tuft of bristles at one or the other of the tutt-dis-` discharging points d d. While the straight notch has special valuein connection with the double delivery of tufts, it has also value with a single delivery, because being straight, or at right angles tothe top plate, its edges at its mouth are less liable to cut the bristles than if it beinclincd,as heretofore. Although I have devised this organization to accomplish this novel double delivery, by the use of the novel straight notch, said capacity for double deliveryis of substantial value, even ifinclined notches be relied upon; but in that case two notches oppositely inclined should be employed, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, andthat construction would embrace certain portions of my invention. The backof each blade may be provided with a notch of larger or smaller size, thus involving only a reversal of a blade for varying the size of the tuft,and two or three of such blades, if interchangeable,will provide for the various sizes of tufts desired.

In all'prior bristle-bunching machines the tuft-gathering notch in the blade could only be closed at one sideof the hopper-mouth, because the blade had but one tutt-bearing or notchclosing surface to co-operate therewith, and if another such surface had been provided it would have been useless for closing a tuftnotch and bearing the tufts, because no notched blade in any bristlebunching ma chine known to me prior to my invention was capable of gathering tufts while moving in both directions across the mouth of a hopper.

Regardless of the particular construction of the blade and its notch or notches,it is important that the bristles be delivered thereto in as favorableacondition as possible. Heretofore the notched blades,whether straight or disk-shaped, have always been below thebris- IOD IIO

tie-hopper, and in one sense theyserved as the bottom of the whole or a main portion of the hopper, andwhile the relative positions of my hopper and blade may be reversed without departure from certain portions of my invention, the location of the hopper below the blade constitutes another important portion of my invention. By feeding the bristles upward into the tuft-notch of the blade there is obviouslya minimum liability of undue displacement of those bristles in the hopper which lie in contact with the edge of the blade, and that portion of the bristles is also immediately under the eye of the workman and readsupport, except at their central portions, "and hence they are as liable to fall angularly as any other way; but with the hopper below the blade the bristles are lifted into the notch while supported throughout their length by the underlying bristles, and hence the parallelism of the bristles is secured within a notch and uniformtufts are obtained.

Heretofore machines having a reciprocating notched blade, whether straight or diskshaped,rhave had hoppers which were straight.-`

sided, or largest next to the blade; butmy hopper has a contracted mouth, which causes the bristles at the center of the mouth to press upwardly with somewhat greater force than at the sides ofthe mouth, and therefore, with properly-adj usted pressure, the notch is readily iilled without liability of cutting the `bristles which lie next to or alongside the edges ot' the mouth.

The hopper E here shown is of novel coustruction; but it is to be understood' that without departure from certain portions of my invention hoppersof other kinds may be enlployed; The mouth c of this hopper has been before described as aplateral opening in the top plate, b, and it -will be observed that at each side and below said opening the interior in-.

clined surfaces of the triangular frame constitutefsmall portions of the' side walls of the hoppen rlhe main portion of the side walls of the hopper is flexible, being composed of 'aV band or belt, li, of leather, cloth, or similar Vmaterial, secured at one end 4to the outside ot' the frame, passing upward over a roller, h', mount-4 ed in a slot beneath the top plate, on that side,

thence downward and upward,to form a contractible bristle-holding loop, to the opposite side of the frame, thence over another roller,

h, and downward over aroller, h3, on the tableytop, thence through said top, and provided with a weight, h4, or with a spring for affording a yielding tension upon the band and vmouth of the hopper.

forms theytlexible. wallsof the hopper.

a yielding pressure upon the mass of bristles, and gently forcing them by said pressure applied in various directions toward the blade and into the notch therein. Both ends of the band or belt h may be provided with a weight or spring, if desired. This loop-shaped iieXiblehopper, in combination with a reciprocat ing blade, whether of the straight or the disk variety, is broadly new; but, as hereinbefore indicated, strings or wiresk with weights applied thereto have been heretofore employ for massing bristles,through which a notched neevdie was thrust for carrying a'notch full of bristles in a doubled-up condition into a tube preparatory to the insertion of the bent tlift into a hole in a brush-back.

The hopper as employed by me enables vt-he bristles to be properly delivered to the notched blade with a minimum of pressure,and therefore said blade must operate with but little abrasive or cutting effect thereon, and it is but little liable to drag out stray bristles at either side of its notch and then to roll them toand fro between its bottom edge and the top plate, none of which, contingencies can occur in connect-ion with the use of the prior notched needles referred to in connection with said prior weighted wires o-r cords.

In connection-with my iiexible loop shaped hopper I employ an agitator, as another novel feature in the combination shown, for varying the pressure on the'bristles at every stroke of the blade, and f or so agitating the bristles as to prevent them from getting so packed or set as to prevent their free advancement to the This agitatorl may be variously constructed and operated without substantial departure from my invention; but it is preferably organized to vary the tension of the .weight h* at each strokeof the blade and permit the latter to operate with intermitting slight shocks upon the belt or band which In its simplest form the agitator is afforded by the rod i, having an eye at its upper end, through which the band h, or a cord connected thereto, passes, and it is pivoted at its lower end to the treadle D, as shown in Fig. l, so that at each rocking movement of said treadle-lever `the belt will receive the desired shock.

In lieu of the simple agitator shown,one or two bellcrank levers may be employed for vertically vibrating a rod surmounted by a plate beneath the hopper, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig.l 7, said bell crank lovers being alternately struck by the ends of the reciprocating blade; but this orotheranalogous contrivances would merely involve unnecessary and expensive complication as compared with the agitator shown, which admirably performs the desired service.

When the band or belt h has aweight or spring at each end, as hereinbefore indicated, the agitator is applied either beneath the hopper orto the'bandat both sides of the hopper,

so as to more thoroughly enliven the mass of IIO bristles; but this will seldom be found necessary, except when bristles of extraordinary length are to be employed.

-I am aware that for use with notched needles box-hoppers have been vertically reciprocated, and that such hoppers have embodied weighted wires in contact with a mass of bristles forced against one side of the box-hopper; but such an organization is practically incapable of use with a reciprocating blade, and is only suited for use with a reciprocating needle, which is thrust through a portion of the mass of bristles.

The operation of the machine, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, will be readily understood-k representing a mass of bristles, and le in Fig. 3 representing a tuft of bristles presented for grasping by the operator at the point d, it being obvious that when the blade is next moved in the opposite direction it will deliver another tuft, as shown in dotted lines at the point d', on the opposite side of the machine, and also that at each vibration of the treadle the delivery of a tuft will thus be made. In some eases it is` advisable to employ a spring-treadle, which will be rocked in one direction by its spring and in the other by the foot of the brush-maker in a manner well known. The means for adjusting the blade to the top plate enables me not only to compensate for wear from time to time, but also to accurately set the plate for properly operating upon filaments of various kinds employed in brush-making. The rear side of the hopper has a plain smooth back plate, Z,

which enables the mass of bristles to be accurately held in the hopper and to be evenly loblades coupled together by means of the rod mf, mounted in guide-bearings and continually reeiprocated by foot or steam power. Each blade has a vertical arm, n, the upper end of which is located between nuts m', mounted on threaded portions of the rod m, thus affording a readily-adjustable connection, and enabling any one machine of a series to stand idle, if necessary. As a rule, it will not be desirable to have more than, say, six machines in line for serving from six to twelve persons, who, being graded as to skill, will be constantly prompted to give close attention to duty and result in a minimum loss of time. Although each machine is adapted to serve two persons,

. they can of course be used to advantage for serving one person, in which case it is generally desirable that the treadle be blocked for limiting its movement in one direction for limiting the movement of the blade. A

fit-h the notched edge of the blade in full contact with the surface of the top plate, at each edge or side of the hopper-mouth, there Y is a liability of cutting bristles when by chance they lie crosswise in said mouth, and to reduce tutes the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent; but it is here illustrated for the purpose of showing the applicability of certain features of my invention herein broadly claimed to machines having both varieties of blade. It will be seen that, although this machine has a notched disk-blade, it has the notch-closing or tutt-bearing surfaces on beth sides of the mouth of the hopper and the two delivery-points dand d on opposite sidesof the machine, and also the flexible hopper, to which the agitator may be applied in precisely the same manner as already described; and, still further, that the hopper may be located beneath the disk, instead of above it, as heretofore.

It is not to be understood that I limit certain portions of my invention to the flexible loop-shaped hopper, composed mainly of such material as leather or cloth, it being obvious that a band of metal or other material, in one piece or several pieces, can be readily substituted therefor, and made to operate in substantially the same manner, with approximately desirable results.

Having thus-described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a bristle-bunching machine, the combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, of-a bristle-hopper having tuft-bearing or notch-closing surfaces at both sides of its mouth and a reciprocating notched blade movable across said mouth in close contact with said surfaces and capable of gathering tufts of bristles while moving in both directions across the mouth of said hopper, whereby at each stroke of said blade it is enabled to gather and present a tuft of bristles first on one side and lthen the other side of said mouth.

2. In abristle-bunching machine, the coinbination, substantially as hereinbefore described, of a bristle-hopper having at each side of its mouth a straight notch-closing or tuftbearing surface and a straight longitudinallyreciprocating notched blade in close contact with said surfaces and adapted to gather tufts of bristles when moved in either direction across the mouth of the hopper, whereby at each stroke said blade is enabled to present a tuft of bristles at one or the other of said surfaces.

3. In a bristle-bnnching machine, the combination of a bristle-hopper and the straight longitudinally-reciproeating blade, having a tutt-holding notch at right angles to its bearing-edge, substantially as described.

4. In a bristle-bunching machine, the combination, With a reciprocating notched blade,

5. In a bristle-bnnching machine, the combination, with the notched blade, of a bristlehopper having a contracted mouth below and crossed by said "blade, substantially as and for the purposes specified. Y

6. In a bristle-bunching machine, the combination, with a reciprocating notched blade, of a flexible and contractible Vbristle-hopper having an open month crossed by said blade, substantially ,as described. f

7. In a bristle-bunching machine, the combination, with a reciprocating notched blade, of a contractible bristle -hopper composed mainly of a band or belt of ileXible material and having an open mouth crossed by said blade, substantially as described. y

8. In a bristle-bunching machine, the com# bination, with a notched blade, of a flexible bristle-hopper and an agitator for intermitting- 1y varying the pressure of the walls of the hopper against the bristles, substantially as described.

9. In a bristle-bunchii'ig machine, the combination, with the top plate, the vhopper-,the notched sliding blade and its slotted standards, of the gibs and their adjusting-screws, substantially as described, whereby the notched blade is adjusted with reference to the top plate, f or the purposes specified. f

10. In a bristle-bunching machine, the combination, with a notched blade and the bristlc-hopper, ofl the frame B, having the interior space for the bristle-hopper, and thetop plate co-operating with the blade for closing its notch and having an opening for the mouth of said hopper, substantially as described.

ALANSON C. ESTABROOK. 

